New Horizons (5 page)

Polly lived next door to Mandie back home and was forever chasing Joe when he came to visit the Shaws. When Mrs. Taft had given Mandie and her friends a trip to Europe as a graduation gift, Polly had been invited to join them. Mandie was surprised at how well-behaved the girl had been, but after all, she was more interested in getting acquainted with boys than in seeing Europe.

As Mandie and Celia stood there looking across the room at
Polly, Mandie said, “Shall we just go sit near her and eavesdrop?” She smiled mischievously.

“Yes,” Celia replied, smiling as they walked across the room.

They sat on a small settee next to the chairs where Polly and the other girl sat, but Polly didn't seem to notice them as she chattered away.

“I do hope there are lots of good-looking boys at the College of Charleston here that we can get to meet. It's ridiculous that women are not allowed to attend the College of Charleston,” Polly was saying.

“But young men are not allowed to attend this college, either,” the dark-haired girl replied. “Though I do think that is a silly rule. Boys and girls are going to get together anyway, don't you agree?”

“Yes, I do indeed,” Polly replied, and looking up at that moment she finally noticed Mandie and Celia. “Well, I see y'all got here,” she said to them.

“Yes, we've been here since Monday,” Mandie replied. “I didn't see you at registration. Were you late coming in?”

“No, of course not,” Polly replied. “My mother managed to get me checked in without standing in that long line because she had to return home.”

Mandie noticed that Polly had not introduced them to the girl Polly had just been talking with. Mandie leaned over and said, “I'm Mandie Shaw and this is my friend Celia Hamilton. Polly is my next-door neighbor back home.”

“My name is Alexandra Willoughby,” the girl replied. “My
mother and Polly's mother went to school together, but Polly and I only met here at the college when our mothers ran into each other after all those years. But enough about me. It must be wonderful to have Mrs. Norman Taft for a grandmother. She owns absolutely everything, it seems.”

“I'm not sure what all Grandmother owns, but I do know she owns the ship line that we went to Europe on,” Mandie replied, noting how the girl could change subjects all in one breath. Therefore, she was probably a nosy kind of person, so Mandie didn't care to get to know her.

Polly stood up, looked around, and said, “Let's go walk around outside. There are probably lots of fellows out there.”

Alexandra quickly joined her. “That would beat sitting here in this stuffy hotel,” she said.

Polly looked at Mandie and Celia and asked, “Are y'all coming?”

Celia shook her head and Mandie replied, “No, thank you. I'm not interested in whatever boys may be out there.”

“I would advise you to get acquainted with boys here in Charleston,” Polly said. “Joe Woodard is many miles away now at his college in New Orleans, and I doubt that you will see much of him.”

Mandie felt her anger rise. “I am not here to meet a lot of boys, nor am I worried about what Joe is doing at his college. Right now I am here to study and learn what they have to offer so I can earn a diploma and go back home.”

Polly didn't reply but gave her a smile as she and Alexandra walked away across the lobby.

“I do believe Polly Cornwallis is the rudest person I have ever met,” Mandie said, frowning as she watched Polly and Alexandra go out the front door. “I ought to have learned that by now.”

“I would just ignore her if I were you,” Celia said. “We'll probably get to know lots of other girls here as soon as we begin classes.”

“You know, Celia, I have to admit something to you,” Mandie said, frowning as she thought about what she was saying. “I do believe I'm sorry I didn't go to Joe's college. At least we would know him there, and the girls probably wouldn't be as rude as the ones we've met here.”

“Oh, Mandie, I don't know about that,” Celia said. “I think we'll be able to make lots of friends here, and it is close enough that we can go home when we get an extra day off.”

Mandie sighed. “You're right. I suppose I'm just homesick.”

At that moment Mandie looked across the lobby and saw George Stuart. He was coming in the front door and she quickly glanced in another direction, hoping he didn't see them.

Celia had also seen him. “There's that fellow who tried to talk to you in the driveway, Mandie,” Celia told her.

“I know. I hope he doesn't see us,” Mandie said, looking at her friend rather than across the lobby.

“Sorry, you're out of luck. Here he comes,” Celia told her as she pretended not to see the young man.

George Stuart walked right up to them and, in his British
accent, said, “Hello, Amanda, what a streak of luck to run into you.”

“I'm sorry, but, ah, we haven't been properly introduced,” Mandie stuttered, trying not to look at him.

“Oh, but we have been, when that string of moss almost knocked off your hat. I clearly remember that,” he said, grinning at both girls. “It would be an honor if you would grant me permission to sit down and talk a bit. May I?”

Mandie looked up at him and said, “I am truly sorry, but my grandmother would really be upset since, as I said, we have not been introduced.”

“Have not been introduced? Now, let's see,” he said, glancing around the huge lobby. “Maybe I can find someone to introduce us. Would that be acceptable?”

Mandie thought he didn't understand the ways of southern society since evidently he was British. However, she also knew that if her grandmother happened to come along right now, Mandie would be in trouble for talking to strange boys.

“My sister is attending the same college as you are. Perhaps I can arrange for her to introduce us then,” the young man said with a big grin. “Would that be acceptable?”

“But she is not here right this minute and we shouldn't even be carrying on a conversation,” Mandie told him. “Please understand that.”

George bowed slightly and said, “I beg your pardon, then, Miss Amanda. I do not wish to break your society rules. I will have my sister become acquainted with you and then she will be able to
introduce us. Would that be acceptable?”

“Yes, that would be acceptable,” Mandie finally agreed. She quickly stood up. “But right now my friend and I have to go to our room. Good day, Mr. Stuart.” She quickly started across the lobby and Celia immediately followed her.

“Good day, Miss Amanda,” the young fellow called after her.

Mandie rushed up the staircase instead of taking the elevator to the third floor. She felt really flustered with a stranger approaching her like that, and she knew her grandmother would give her a long lecture about the necessity of a formal introduction with young men. This place wasn't like back home, where everyone knew everyone and introductions were not necessary.

“Mandie, he's gone, so we don't have to go back to our room yet,” Celia told her as she kept up with Mandie.

“Oh good,” Mandie replied, coming to the top of the second-floor staircase. She paused to look around. There was no one in sight. “Why don't we sit on one of those settees for a little while?”

“That's fine with me,” Celia agreed. “We can watch everyone come and go up and down the stairs.”

Mandie led the way to one of the seats and sat down. Celia joined her. She took a long breath, straightened her skirt, and said, “I don't know why that fellow upset me so much. Maybe it's his accent. He is evidently not an American.”

“I agree with you that he should not have approached us without being introduced by someone we know,” Celia said. “Now
that we are older we have to behave that way—older, that is. That's the part of growing up that I don't like. I like meeting new people and talking with them without bothering to be introduced by someone else.”

“At least my grandmother was nowhere in sight, or it might have been embarrassing,” Mandie said, getting comfortable on the settee. “And just think—we have to live by all these rules until we graduate and go back home. Oh, that the time will pass quickly.”

But her world as she had always known it would soon never be the same again.

chapter 4

Mr. Ryland showed up the next morning at nine o'clock with the carriage. Mandie noticed that, after questioning him about his family and experience, her grandmother seemed pleased with him as their driver.

Mr. Ryland was an older man, probably older than her grandmother, Mandie decided, as she listened to the instructions Mrs. Taft was giving the man.

“You need to report to the college at least once a day to find out whether the young ladies want to use the carriage. You will have to check with them on Monday morning to get their schedule then. Mrs. Hamilton and I will be leaving for our homes on Sunday.”

Mandie looked at Celia, and they both smiled. They would soon have the freedom of being on their own without Mrs. Taft's supervision.

“Yes, madam,” Mr. Ryland said, standing nearly a head taller than Mrs. Taft. He held his hat in his hand and smiled as he
spoke. “Whatever you say, madam.”

Mrs. Taft turned to Mandie and said, “We need to bring some fresh clothes for you and Celia over to the hotel. Since Celia's mother and I will be staying longer than we expected, you might as well stay in the hotel with us until we leave on Sunday.”

Mrs. Hamilton spoke up. “Today is only Wednesday, so you will need enough clothes for four more days.”

“Yes, ma'am,” Celia agreed.

Mrs. Taft turned to Mrs. Hamilton and said, “I thought we could spend the rest of this week driving around town and getting the girls acquainted with the driver and the sights.”

“That is a wonderful idea, Mrs. Taft,” Mrs. Hamilton agreed. “I'm glad we do have more time to spend with the girls.”

Mrs. Taft spoke to the driver. “Now, Mr. Ryland, please take us over to the college so we can bring a few things back to the hotel.”

“At your service, madam,” Mr. Ryland replied, slightly bowing.

Mandie thought the man was a little nervous dealing with her grandmother as he offered his hand for Mrs. Taft to board the carriage.

During the following days of sightseeing, Mandie realized the man was greatly impressed by her grandmother. He seemed to be the kind of person who would do everything absolutely right. Mrs. Taft kept giving him instructions, all of which he agreed to. He was to make a report to her each month regarding the use of the carriage, where the girls went, and how often it was used. He was also to see that the carriage was kept shiny and clean at all
times. And she would mail him a check at the first of each month for his services.

Mandie and Celia listened silently to all this, exchanged glances, and then whispered about it in their room at the hotel that night. It seemed that although Mrs. Taft would be going home soon, she would still have control over Mandie.

“Now we can't just park the carriage somewhere, like we had talked about doing after your grandmother leaves,” Celia remarked to Mandie as they got ready for bed in their hotel room that night.

Mandie frowned as she thoughtfully replied, “No, but we don't have to use the carriage—I mean, we don't
have
to go anywhere. We can just stay right in our room in the dormitory and study.”

“We could always get a public carriage when we want to go somewhere,” Celia suggested.

“I suppose so, if there is any place we really want to go,” Mandie agreed.

“Like to church on Sunday,” Celia added.

“We could walk there. It's only two blocks down the street,” Mandie reminded her.

But they didn't go to church the following Sunday. The train left right as the services began, and Mandie and Celia were allowed to go to the depot to see Mrs. Taft and Mrs. Hamilton off. The girls were given final instructions, and Mrs. Taft said she would return for a visit soon.

As the train pulled out of the station, Mandie and Celia stood
on the platform waving good-bye.

“Exactly
how
soon my grandmother didn't say,” Mandie said with a hint of concern in her voice, yet she still gave a loud sigh of relief.

The two girls turned to walk down the steps from the platform to the carriage with Mr. Ryland standing by.

“Since we don't have to be in the dining room until after church services, why don't we just ride around awhile?” Mandie suggested as they approached the carriage.

Celia smiled as she said, “And see what all the ladies who will be coming out of the churches are wearing?”

Mandie paused to look at her and asked, “You really are interested in what other people are wearing?”

“Only to the extent that I don't want to look like a country hick among the city girls,” Celia replied.

“But your mother and my grandmother bought most of our clothes in New York,” Mandie reminded her. “I doubt that will make us look like ‘country hicks.' ”

“I know, but New York fashions just might not be popular down here in Charleston. In fact, we may be ahead of the latest fashions,” Celia tried to explain.

“Oh, well, if you say so.” Mandie shrugged her shoulders and decided to go along with what Celia wanted to do.

Mr. Ryland knew where many of the churches in Charleston were located, and he gladly promised to drive by each one. Services would soon end and the ladies would come out of the churches. Upon Mandie's insistence, he had put the top down so
they could talk to him as he drove.

“We have to get down to real work tomorrow when our classes begin,” Mandie remarked as they rode along.

“I know, and I'll be glad to finally get on a schedule. It has been so hectic since we came here,” Celia replied.

They rode by a church that was finally dismissing its congregation.